Dialog Design Overview

This article provides information for a Dialog Design Overview. Dialog Design (DLG) lets you accomplish two design tasks, Procedure Definition and Dialog Design.
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Procedure Definition involves describing how a business carries out its activities and consists of one or more procedure steps. Dialog Design involves identifying the flows between procedure steps and documenting the flows on a dialog flow diagram.
The dialog flow diagram illustrates the passing of control from one procedure step to the next. In client/server applications, the dialog flow diagram illustrates the passing of control from the client to the server and back to the client.
When you use the Dialog Design, the input to the diagram includes the following:
  • Elementary processes defined in analysis
  • Procedures and procedure steps added to the dialog flow diagram
  • Flows added to connect procedure steps
  • Commands set to invoke a procedure
  • Function keys assigned to invoke the commands
The Dialog Design diagram has a limit on the number of Procedures or Procedure Steps that can display. This limit varies depending on the mix of Procedures or Procedure Steps and how many of those are expanded. In general, approximately 330 Procedures can display. A message appears when the diagram is opened or an object is added or expanded that causes the display to reach its limit.
Example
The following example shows a dialog flow diagram:
Dialog Design Overview
Dialog Design Overview
The
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toolset represents a procedure as a horizontal bar with vertical end posts. Horizontal bars without end posts represent procedure steps. Dialog flows appear as vertical arrows indicating direction. Arrows without loops represent one-directional transfers, while arrows with loops represent bi-directional links.
This diagram contains five single-step procedures. The first two vertical arrows are links and the last three are transfers. Data can be passed between the procedures as needed.
Objectives
The following are the objectives of using the Dialog Design:
  • Define business system procedures
  • Specify the elementary processes that the procedures implement
  • Use Analysis processes in design procedures
  • Define the contents of data views passed between procedure steps
  • Specify the conditions under which control is passed between procedure steps
  • Define the function keys used to invoke commands in procedure steps
  • Optionally define the clear screen parameters to a procedure step
Deliverables
The following are the deliverables from Dialog Design:
  • Procedure action diagrams for the implemented processes
  • The sequence in which procedures and procedure steps occur
  • Synthesized data views
Downstream Effects
To initiate Packaging in Construction, you must define the dialog flows between procedures and procedure steps for each business system. If the DLG is not complete, Packaging displays only the business system name.
Flows and Non-Display Procedures: Load Module Considerations
The following scenario demonstrates the effects of a flow on a non-display procedure:
Scenario
  • A non-display procedure is called on a link
  • An exit state is set that is not on the return link or any other flows
Effects
  • If the link involves one load module (both procedures are contained in one load module), no return flow is executed. It may appear that a flow is executed because the GUI window removes the non-display procedure from the procedure step stack and acts as if the flow never took place.
  • If the link involves TWO load modules (each procedure in a separate load module), a forced return flow is executed no matter what the exit state is.
Although this is inconsistent and a forced return flow with the data must be executed in all cases, the ONE load module scenario is based on a historical design perspective in which existing models and
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client/server encyclopedia (CSE) clients depend on a NON-flow on single module links.
Dialog Design Main Actions
The following actions are in the Dialog Design:
Diagram
Accesses and saves models, chains to other diagrams, runs consistency check and reports, prints diagrams, and details printer set-up.
Edit
Adds procedures and procedure steps, joins procedures, adds external flows into and out of the business system, moves objects on the diagram, copies procedures and procedure steps, and deletes objects from the diagram.
Detail
Defines the properties of Dialog Flow Diagram objects, accesses Procedure Synthesis, modifies views, specifies PF keys and commands, details clear screen input, and defines the usage of exit states and the data that is passed between procedure steps.
View
Controls the display of the Dialog Flow Diagram.
Options
Customizes user interface for multiple or single object add, specifying dialect, changing fonts, and customizing pop-up menus.
Window
Arranges the display of all open secondary windows, maximizes the width and height of the active window, staggers and indents all open windows, and divides the work area into halves or fourths to display each open window in a portion of the screen.
Help
Describes general and specific online help, explains contents of and tasks that are performed in the application window for online help, lists key assignments, and lists all online help topics in alphabetical order.

Move in Dialog Design

Move relocates the selected object within the dialog flow diagram.
Procedure steps cannot be moved outside of their parent procedure.
When a procedure/procedure step is moved, the dialog flows are redrawn to accommodate the new position.
More information:
How to in Dialog Flow Diagram